"We're not getting our share as per the Ganges Water Treaty between Bangladesh and India [signed in 1996] and our water resources secretary officially informed this to his Indian counterpart a few weeks ago. India now cannot unilaterally withdraw Ganges water for power plant at Farakka," State Minister for Water Resources Goutam Chakraborty told The Daily Star yesterday.

He said, "We saw in the media reports Indian Power Minister Shushil Kumar Shinde told Kolkata press recently about power plant at Farakka in West Bengal. We'll officially ask India to inform us about the plant that will harness Ganges water."

As per Indian plan, the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) would add 500MW to the existing 1,600MW Farakka super thermal power plant, a move that would meet growing demands of State Electricity Boards in Indian eastern region.

Indian daily The Telegraph on February 27 quoted Shinde as saying that water shortage at the Farakka plant is only temporary. "Because of the ongoing process of filling up of a reservoir in the Tehri dam project, the flow in the Ganges has become less. But once that is over, the situation will improve."

The Bangladesh state minister told The Daily Star, "We've been telling India about our being deprived of due share of Ganges water during January-May lean period. But no formal response from India has so far been received. We learned it informally that Ganges' flow at Farakka point has been reduced."

Expressing a deep sense of worry, he said any unilateral water usage from the trans-boundary river for power generation would be a violation of the Ganges Water Treaty.

Water Resources Minister Hafiz Uddin Ahmed is learnt to have been expecting a response from his Indian counterpart about renewing talks on Teesta water sharing in the light of the treaty. He is now on a visit to China to develop water sector cooperation between Bangladesh and China that share some common rivers including the Brahmaputra.

Experts noted that while India pursues bilateral talks on the issues of river water sharing, Bangladesh prefers basin-wise solution to water sharing problems involving all co-riparian countries.

Sources at Joint River Commission (JRC) said Bangladesh at an expert-level meeting with India at Farakka on February 6-7 informed its upper-riparian neighbour about not getting its due share of Ganges waters.

Official statistics show Bangladesh got 55,840 cusecs of water from the Ganges during the first 10-day slot (January 1-10) of lean period against its share of 67,515 cusecs; 40,471 cusecs in the second slot (January 11-20) against 57,673 cusecs; 35,000 cusecs against 50,154 cusecs in the third slot (January 21-31); and 46,323 cusecs against 52,059 cusecs in the fourth slot (February 1-10).

Experts pointed out that the Ganges treaty has the provision of holding joint review if the river's flow at Farakka drops below 70,000 cusecs; otherwise, lower-riparian's water share has to be guaranteed as per the 'indicative schedules' (averaging last 40 years' flow).